ANALYSIS OF THE HUMAN CEPHALOMETRIC PARAMETERS IMPORTANT FOR DENTAL PRACTICE

Cephalometry is a measurement of the head by imaging, also taking into account the layer which consists of all the soft tissues of the head. Following the introduction of computed tomography (CT), 3D reconstruction of the head and neck structures and 3D analysis of angular and linear cephalometric parameters was enabled. This study aimed to determine the characteristic cephalometric parameters, using the 2D reconstruction of the multi-slice CT (MSCT) images, which are essential for computer designing of the parametric-geometric-mathematical model (PGMM) of the human skull. We conducted the study on 20 CT scans of adult patients (12 males and 8 females), taken from the radiology archive of the Clinical Center in Niš. Measurements were done on 2D reconstruction images of preselected 3D images of the human head created using MSCT. The values of 29 linear cephalometric parameters (LCP) and 20 angular cephalometric parameters (ACP) were determined. Statistically significant differences between males and females were noted for the distance between the points Sella and Supraorbitale and for the distance between the points Subspinale and Labium superius. Mean values of cephalometric parameters obtained by measurements on 2D CT images can be used to generate normative parameters which represent values used to generate 3D PGMM of the human skull. This PGMM of the skull may allow a more accurate diagnosis, better selection of treatment methods and more accurate prognosis for healing in orthodontics, implantology, oral and maxillofacial surgery

Overview of the major classes of new psychoactive substances, psychoactive effects, analytical determination and conformational analysis of selected illegal drugs.

The misuse of psychoactive substances is attracting a great deal of attention from the general public. An increase use of psychoactive substances is observed among young people who do not have enough awareness of the harmful effects of these substances. Easy access to illicit drugs at low cost and lack of effective means of routine screening for new psychoactive substances (NPS) have contributed to the rapid increase in their use. New research and evidence suggest that drug use can cause a variety of adverse psychological and physiological effects on human health (anxiety, panic, paranoia, psychosis, and seizures). We describe different classes of these NPS drugs with emphasis on the methods used to identify them and the identification of their metabolites in biological specimens. This is the first review that thoroughly gives the literature on both natural and synthetic illegal drugs with old known data and very hot new topics and investigations, which enables the researcher to use it as a starting point in the literature exploration and planning of the own research. For the first time, the conformational analysis was done for selected illegal drugs, giving rise to the search of the biologically active conformations both theoretically and using lab experiments

Microencapsulation of anthocyanin-rich black soybean coat extract by spray drying using maltodextrin, gum Arabic and skimmed milk powder

Black soybean coat is insufficiently valorised food production waste rich in anthocyanins. The goal of the study was to examine physicochemical properties of spray dried extract of black soybean coat in regard to carrier materials: maltodextrin, gum Arabic, and skimmed milk powder. Maltodextrin and gum Arabic-based microparticles were spherical and non-porous while skimmed milk powder-based were irregularly shaped. Low water activity of microparticles (0.31-0.33), good powders characteristics, high solubility (80.3-94.3%) and encapsulation yields (63.7-77.0%) were determined. All microparticles exhibited significant antioxidant capacity (243-386 mu molTE/g), good colour stability after three months of storage and antimicrobial activity. High content of total anthocyanins, with cyanidin-3-glucoside as predominant, were achieved. In vitro release of anthocyanins from microparticles was sustained, particularly from gum Arabic-based. These findings suggest that proposed simple eco-friendly extraction and microencapsulation procedures could serve as valuable tools for valorisation and conversion of black soybean coat into highly functional and stable food colourant